Texans Star Defender Undergoes Successful Hand Surgery

Now with the NFL offseason officially off and running, one member of the Houston Texans' defense has undergone hand surgery to get right for the 2026 campaign–– and that's Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, Al-Shaair underwent successful surgery to repair his thumb, a surgery the linebacker had noted would be done this offseason after Houston's year came to an end.

Successful thumb surgery for #Texans Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. Al-Shaair said at close of season he would need to get it repaired in offseason. Full recovery expected for offseason for hard-hitting team captain @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/Yxa2p6F8aD
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) February 11, 2026

Clearly, Al-Shaair hasn't wasted any time to get his operation done. Per Wilson, Al-Shaair is reportedly expected to be fully ready for the 2026 campaign once the time comes.

Al-Shaair won't be needed back on the field until later this summer for offseason OTAs, which won't hit until late May to early June.

Therefore, that gives him ample time to get right before his third season with the Texans officially kicks off, both from his recent hand surgery and getting back to 100% after a long and strenuous season as is.

Azeez Al-Shaair Undergoes Successful Thumb Surgery

Al-Shaair, one of the Texans' five team captains, comes off his best season since joining DeMeco Ryans' defense back in 2024, having made the first-ever Pro Bowl of his career while leading the Texans' elite unit.

In his 16 games played, Al-Shaair put together 103 tackles, one tackle for loss, nine passes defended, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. It was just the third time in his career that he had logged 100-plus tackles in a single season, having done so with three different teams.

Feb 1, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) during AFC practice at the Flag Fieldhouse Moscone Center South Building. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Having such a campaign allowed for Al-Shaair to be one of the Texans' batch of six Pro Bowlers, joining Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock, Will Anderson Jr., and Nico Collins as the other members from Houston’s 12-5 squad to have been honored as some of the top guys at their position from this season.

Al-Shaair, now 28 years old, will have the opportunity to build upon this year's successes further in 2026. But before then, he'll have a whole offseason ahead to both get healthy and get even more prepared for what could be an even better campaign from Houston's elite defense as a whole.

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